Oldushka: the over-45 modelling agency bringing the glamour of age to the fashion world

Oldushka is the Moscow-based modelling agency run by Igor Gavar that has been make waves at home and abroad for one simple reason: it only represents models aged 45 or above. Growing out of Gavar’s former passion project — photographing the street style of pensioners in his Siberian hometown of Omsk — Oldushka now represents 18 models across Russia, almost all aged between 60 and 85. Gavar says it was “beauty, absurdity, sincerity and bewilderment” that he captured in his first subjects, and the agency is now directly challenging traditional ideas about age and beauty. Age diversity is an issue gathering momentum in the fashion world, with Russia no exception: Oldushka’s talent have appeared in the likes of Afisha and the Saint Laurent Russia campaigns. Gavar and co are once again changing expectations of Russian fashion among outsiders, showing that there is more to the country’s style innovators than Gosha Rubchinskiy-style suburban sportswear. Gavar has said that, for his models, “appearing as themselves is an instrument to fight stereotypes” — a battle that Oldushka would seem to be winning.

Text: Samuel Goff